However, later in the day, according to ESPN New York, Sandy Alderson said Niese is in his plans for next year. Alderson acknowledged that he will listen to offers for any player, but, “at this point that’s all it is, is talk,” while adding, “I wouldn’t say that it’s even been significant conversations.”

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Matthew Cerrone: That’s not what I’ve heard… People who know both teams have told me that during the Winter Meetings the Mets and Jays had fairly substantive talks that centered around Niese, catching prospect Travis D’Arnaud and one of Toronto’s younger, back-end starting pitchers. However, it seems like Toronto is also in talks with Oakland about Gio Gonzalez, and they’re probably monitoring the free-agent market as well. So, in that sense, perhaps Sandy is right, things are quiet… today. It’s an intriguing deal, but I suspect the Jays have better options and, despite the talks, the Mets seem reluctant to part with Niese.

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In regards to the overall market, Alderson suggested that only minor moves were likely to occur between now and the New Year, after which he expects things to pick up.